By Michael A. Smith, MD

Pomegranate fruit has gained a great deal of popularity over the years. Originally from the Middle East and Asia, it's also referred to as the Granada or the Chinese apple.

These days, pomegranates are mostly grown in India, Africa, and the United States. Just about every culture in the world eats and enjoys them (even though they’re known to stain clothes).

The fruit is round or spherical and red. Inside, you’ll find dozens of small, ruby-colored seeds with a distinct citrus flavor and an extremely juicy consistency. Today, a wealth of foods, drinks, and even dietary supplements are made with the fruit as a result of its popularity.

These days, pomegranate is becoming more commercialized and can be found in various forms in supermarkets everywhere. Pomegranate juice is the most popular, but jellies, wines, and even salad dressings are also available. Be careful, though, as many of these processed pomegranate products are literally loaded with sugar.

Punicalagins are Powerful Pomegranate Antioxidants

Time for the juicy stuff — the health benefits. Just about every part of your body can reap rewards from pomegranate. It’s an extremely rich source of antioxidants — specifically, a group of antioxidants known as punicalagins, which are powerful, free radical scavengers that can help reduce oxidative damage throughout your body.

The ORAC chart1 — Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity — measures the antioxidant power of different food sources. The higher the ORAC value, the greater the food’s antioxidant power. Note that pomegranate fruit weighs in at a whopping 10,500 ORAC units (note that the numerical values here are based on a serving of 100 grams or 3.5 ounces). Impressive, isn’t it?

Again, most of the pomegranate’s antioxidant punch comes from the punicalagins. But how does this punch actually measure up? To give you an idea, one popular pomegranate extract has been found to increase blood antioxidant status by 32%.2

Pomegranate’s Range of Health Benefits

Many studies, ranging from laboratory tests to human clinical studies, have confirmed the health benefits of pomegranate punicalagins, especially in terms of cardiovascular benefits. The following is a list of some compelling observations that have been made by researchers about the fruit:

It inhibits the proliferation of prostate cancer cells.3

It enhances nitric oxide production and improves endothelial cell function.4

It inhibits cholesterol oxidation by increasing paraoxonase-1 activity by 83%.5

It reduces the incidence and number of skin tumors in animal models.6

It prevents platelet clumping and clot formation by boosting prostacyclin production by 61%.7,8

It lowers total cholesterol and LDL levels — markers of cardiovascular risk.9

As you can see, pomegranate really is a “super fruit.” Not only is it beautiful and tasty, but it’s also a virtual gold mine of health benefits. For this reason, we suggest eating as many as you can every day. However, if you want to reap the maximum rewards, a high-potency extract providing 250 to 500 mg is probably your best bet.

Recipe: Persimmon Pomegranate Fruit Salad

Although the end of summer is near, the days are still pretty hot for many of us. If you want help beating the heat, give this cool, refreshing persimmon pomegranate fruit salad a shot. The recipe comes courtesy of Simply Recipes.

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

The information provided on this site is for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for advice from your physician or other health care professional or any information contained on or in any product label or packaging. You should not use the information on this site for diagnosis or treatment of any health problem or for prescription of any medication or other treatment. You should consult with a healthcare professional before starting any diet, exercise or supplementation program, before taking any medication, or if you have or suspect you might have a health problem. You should not stop taking any medication without first consulting your physician.

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

The information provided on this site is for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for advice from your physician or other health care professional or any information contained on or in any product label or packaging. You should not use the information on this site for diagnosis or treatment of any health problem or for prescription of any medication or other treatment. You should consult with a healthcare professional before starting any diet, exercise or supplementation program, before taking any medication, or if you have or suspect you might have a health problem. You should not stop taking any medication without first consulting your physician.